Home ›› 31 Aug 2021 ›› World Biz
Some US fast-food restaurants are closing indoor seating areas or limiting hours of operation because of the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19, according to franchisees.
McDonald’s Corp had temporarily closed indoor dining at nearly all US locations in early 2020, but it reopened 70 per cent by last month. The global burger chain said on July 28 that it was on track to open nearly 100 per cent by Labor Day - barring any Covid-19 resurgence.
But last week, McDonald’s instructed its franchisees on steps they should take to re-close their dining rooms in areas where the Delta variant is rapidly spreading, according to internal company materials seen by Reuters.
“We have a much deeper sense of what actions make a difference for the safety of our restaurant teams and crew,” McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said during a Wednesday meeting, according to the materials.
In Wednesday’s conference call, McDonald’s executives recommended franchisees consider closing indoor seating in counties where Covid cases exceed 250 per 100,000 people on a rolling three-week average.
The materials did not specify how many locations have shut indoor seating or could soon do so.
One McDonald’s franchisee who operates multiple locations told Reuters it had to bar indoor seating at several restaurants.
